The Crew PC Closed Beta will now start on July 21

I know, today is all about Destiny's beta beginning on PlayStation platforms; but, Ubisoft announced today that the PC Closed Beta for The Crew will actually start two days earlier than originally announced. Those accepted into the closed beta can begin playing as early as Monday, July 21 and will be able to race across the U.S. until Friday, July 25.

"As you know, we’ve been focused on delivering a bold new take on the driving genre: a massive persistent world loaded with exciting driving challenges, iconic places, amazing cars - and best of all, a world filled with friends to crew up with or rivals to compete against," Ubisoft boasted. Looking to shed some light on the goals and purposes of the beta, Ubisoft briefly explained what players can expect during the closed beta period.

The Map

Explore the entire United States with no loading screen and complete a variety of exciting challenges:

Midwest: all missions and skill challenges.

East Coast: all skill challenges.

Rest of the country (The South, Mountain State, West Coast): free roaming at will!

For the purposes of this Closed Beta, we will have missions and skill challenges available only in the Midwest and challenges in the East Coast. The final game will, of course, have missions and skill challenges throughout the entire U.S. map!

You will also have access to two PvP lobbies, one in the Midwest and the other on the East Coast, where several races will be waiting for you to prove your skills against other players!

The Cars

Expect to discover new vehicles that, in order to drive across a variety of terrains, you’ll be able to customize in the following specs:

Remember that there are three other specs in the game—Perf, Raid and Circuit—and you’ll have a glimpse of those during this Closed Beta!

Playing with your friends

The Crew was built from the ground up as a breathing, living world, meaning that in this Closed Beta you will be able to play with your friends at any time – or challenge rivals from all around the world.

Ubisoft also noted that this beta does not represent the final state of the game, and that many changes will be applied before The Crew hits retail on November 11.